Falling Petals Of Daisy - Chapter 1

“Is Death The End?”

A book I had always wanted to read. But it was a rare find since its copies were burned down during the civil war.

Surprisingly enough, the girl in front of me was holding the same book.

It was evening, and the sky had turned bluish-orange as birds rushed home. A gentle breeze swept through the air.

Since middle school, I had been going to a place, which only I knew, whenever I felt gloomy.

The place was a secret garden behind the school forest.

A bed of lovely white daisies surrounded the only wooden bench that existed there.

‘Peace’— that was the sole feeling I felt in the garden.

I loved it because nobody else ever came there, and the silence felt peaceful.

Reading books quietly, and imagining their magical stories would make my sadness fade away.

However, it was quite different that day.

A girl, who appeared to be the same age as me, was sitting beside me on the same wooden bench.

Her long, silk-black hair covered most of her face, but I could still catch a glimpse of her. She looked pale and emotionless.

There was a faint smile on her lips while she read.

It felt strange to know that there was someone else who also knew of the garden other than me.

I really wanted to ask her about the book’s whereabouts, but my social anxiety kicked in.

Random thoughts flooded my mind: ‘Would she find it strange if a stranger started talking to her? Did I stare too much?’

She looked completely unbothered by my presence. Her eyes remained fixated on the pages of the book as if I were invisible to her.

Summoning every bit of courage, I somehow managed to start a conversation.

I moved a bit closer and stammered, “Um, excuse me. If it’s alright, could you tell me where you found that book? I’ve been searching for it forever.”

The girl’s face turned towards me. Her eyes widened, as though she had seen a ghost, and yet, she didn’t say a single word.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but notice her long eyelashes.

There was something about her that emitted a warm glow but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.

Her brownish irises seemed to sparkle in the setting sun.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

Feeling a bit weird about how I had asked the question earlier, I decided to try again.

“Hello?…” I said, hoping to break the silence and initiate a conversation.

After some hesitation, her lips slowly opened, and to my surprise, her voice quivered slightly.

“…You can see me?”

‘Does she have Eighth grader syndrome?’ Her words caught me off guard, and I was completely confused.

The girl sat right in front of me— how could I have missed her?

Leaving those thoughts aside, I decided to respond since leaving her on a stare would come out creepy. “…Yes.”

I didn’t understand what I had done, but tears welled up in the girl’s eyes.

She gently wiped them away with her hands and a huge smile appeared on her face.

It seemed like she had found happiness, but for me, it was a different story.

My brain, which was equal to a nut, was racing. I was trying to figure out what I had done wrong.

The inner voice that usually kept me composed was now filled with self-blame. I assumed that I had caused her tears for some reason.

Trembling in my seat, I nervously asked her, “D-Did I do something wrong?”

With a sigh and a gentle smile, she replied, “Ah, I am sorry for showing this side of mine.”

“No…It’s fine, perhaps, I was being too straightforward.”

A moment of realization passed over the girl’s face.

She rose from her seat, looking at me with hope in her eyes. Our eyes met, and I noticed how bright her face shone in the evening light, despite its pallor.

“Not at all! Rather, I am just…I am just happy that someone can see me.”

“I don’t understand…”

Her face fell, and a hint of sadness clouded her eyes. The smile she had earlier faded.

The girl knelt, caressing a daisy that was bowing in.

She began to speak but this time with a calm voice.

“I’ve always felt invisible,” she whispered.

“Invisible?” I listened intentively as the girl continued speaking.

“I felt like I was just going through the motions of life, ignored by everyone around me. No one seemed to notice or care about my existence.”

“Not even your parents?”

“Parents…I did have parents, they were lovely. But for some reason, I seemed to have forgotten their faces…”

“It could be that you have Alzheimer’s disease. Please contact a doctor.”

“Doctor…But no one else seems to notice me. There were times when I thought I am someone who was forgotten. It was as if I was destined to be forever overlooked, like a mere speck in the vastness of this world.”

I felt a lump forming in my throat, unable to find the right words to console her.

“How much time has passed since that day?… I don’t know…” Her eyes held unshed tears as she whispered those words.

Why did I relate to that? I couldn’t tell.

Her words tugged at my heart, and I felt a pang of empathy, for I knew too well what it meant to feel isolated from the world.

Did I want to help her? Yes. How would I have helped her? I wasn’t sure.

But I still wanted to do everything I could.

Before I could say anything, she gazed at the full moon above. I hadn’t even noticed the evening pass.

Moonlight bathed the daisies, creating a magical scene like a forest from a fairy tale. It was like a holy spirit making the flowers glow.

The night sky brimmed with myriad twinkling stars, lighting up the parts where the moonlight didn’t reach.

Turning to me, she raised her arms and giggled happily. Her eyes glittered with delight.

“But finally, I have someone who truly sees me!”